It’s no secret that the world is in a dark place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that made its appearance into the world earlier this year. The whole world has been shaken and Sasha McVeigh, a 26-year-old musician living in Nashville, Tennessee, is telling what it’s like to see the lights go out on Broadway. “I have been out of work since March 15, 2020 when the bars on Lower Broadway, and pretty much all other live music venues, closed their doors. I did manage to apply for some grants and I was eventually approved for unemployment, but financially things have been tough,” McVeigh says. “Creatively, I’m very thankful for my co-writers who have been willing to write music via Zoom and apps like that, which has certainly helped my mental and emotional state. I think, like most people, there are good days and bad days, and I’ve been trying to focus on any and all positives that I can.”

Originally from Herefordshire, England, Sasha brings a different perspective to the table. “From what I have heard from my musician friends in the UK and in Canada, the unemployment issues facing musicians are, unfortunately, the same or similar over there to the way things are here.”McVeigh has been a driving force in advocating for fellow artists in Nashville, reaching out to the government in Nashville, doing interviews to raise awareness about the issues she cares about, and using her social media to support her causes.. It hasn’t always been an easy journey, for the artist, facing push-back from naysayers who dismiss her views based on her citizenship status. But she doesn’t let that stop her. “I originally got involved after seeing one of my fellow musicians, and friends, was mugged at gunpoint while walking back to his car after a gig on Lower Broadway in Nashville. Since then, I’ve made it my goal to be a part of making sure musicians feel seen and that the problems we face get addressed. I see it as the least I can do to help those in my field, my colleagues I guess you could say.”

According to a June article from The Tennessean, Nashville has been implementing a reopening plan consisting of various phases following the COVID-19 pandemic that began in the beginning of May. The city entered Phase 2 at the end of May and has just stepped into Phase 3 after a delay due to a spike in COVIDcases. In this phase of the reopening plan, masks will be required in public places, citizens will be encouraged to work from home, gatherings should consist of 25 people or fewer, and anyone within the “high-risk” category should stay home if at all possible. As of July 4, Nashville plans to close bars until at least July 31, 2020, a difficult fate for musicians like McVeigh.

Follow Sasha’s journey online:

SashaMcVeighMusic.com

Instagram: @sashamcveighmusic

Facebook: Sasha McVeigh

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